


Victory Road

by Kyuubikochan



Category: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: Adventure, Adventure & Romance, Comedy, Eventual Romance, M/M, Pokemon AU, Pokemon League
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-05-24
Updated: 2017-05-24
Packaged: 2018-11-04 11:50:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,409
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10990344
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kyuubikochan/pseuds/Kyuubikochan
Summary: Yuuri Katsuki dreams of becoming a Pokemon Master and one day be able to batle Pokemon League Champion, Victor Nikiforov and earn his place. But after a devastating loss at a tournament causes him to lose confidence, he gives up his dreams to return to work at his family's hot springs. That is until Victor himself shows up on top of his Articuno with an offer to be his coach to become the very best. A trainer for a trainer? Made sense for him. Pokemon AU Victuuri.





	Victory Road

**Author's Note:**

> This takes place in a fictional pokemon region Iro.

"This is it! One more ice beam and he's done it! Venasaur can no longer battle. Victor is the winner!"

The audience roared and cheered, and twelve-year-old Yuuri couldn't bring himself to contain his excitement anymore. He jumped to his feet, abruptly awaking his growlithe, and let out a cheer. No wait, he threw off his comforters, jiggled around in a some sort of interpret dance, hugged the television screen, then let out a cheer. He didn't care if his pokemon, he affectionately nicknamed "Vicchan", was silently judging his trainer, or if his parents could hear him awake at an ungodly hour to watch the tournament. His idol won!

But not just any idol, it was the Victor Nikiforov.

Yuuri peeled his cheeks away when Victor appeared onscreen, accepting his gold medal with the brightest grin in all of Iro region. His smile was dazzling, his long silvery hair shimmering under the beaming lights of the crowded stadium, and Yuuri felt like his heart came to a sudden halt when Victor's cerulean eyes coincidently met his. His cheeks heated up and he plopped himself back on his bed, finding himself too shy to lock eyes again. Maybe he was being too excited for him. After all, they never met in person nor did he even know one of his biggest fans even existed. Years ago, he was sure that maybe one day, out of the blue, that Victor would wonder in their hot springs resort to freshen up and rest rather than spend another night at some pokemon center. But he never did. Their resort wasn't anything fantastic as a tourist destination, so it really wasn't a surprise that Victor never visited.  
But that didn't rest the thumping in his chest, the burning in his chubby cheeks like small flames from a Charmander's tail.

"Victor Nikiforov has done it again! This is his fifth gold medal for the Midori tournament."

Yuuri listened in closlely even though he pretty much knew everything about him. Youngest league champion, researcher of pokemon (specifically ice pokemon), and also the youngest to capture a legendary pokemon with just an ultra ball during his journey in the Seafoam Islands.

He had been a fan ever since Victor's name surfaced in the media, after first seeing on the news of him accepting his new title as league champion. His age amazed him, inspired him. Yuuri was young himself, and gave him the chance to believe that if Victor could achieve greatness, so could he. Posters of him plastered almost every inch of his bedroom walls, his favorite of him posing along side of his Articuno shortly after catching it was taped to the wall across his bed where he opened his eyes to every morning. Another picture, one of simply Victor himself beaming at the camera for the cover of a magazine article, was framed at his desk by his computer.

His older sister, Mari, teased him that people were going to start wondering if it was more than admiration for an idol. Yuuri wasn't sure what kinda name he would label it, but he didn't care either way. He was happy whatever this feeling was.

"Tell me, Mr. Nikiforov, what's your secret to your success?" an interviewer popped in beside his sixteen-year-old idol, brandishing a microphone as flashes of light from cameras surrounded them. Magnamites hovered around with video cameras attached to it to capture every angle.

Victor mused for a second, his eyes twinkling. "I'd say its's the relationship you have between your pokemon. Love and trust." He said, reaching out to gently comb over Articuno's head, careful not to touch its icy crest. "And of course lots and lots of patience." He continued with a chuckle.

Yuuri glanced down at Vicchan, wagging his fluffy tail when he notcied him, curling up beside him. Sure, their bond was great. His best friend even. He buried his fingers in his fur, scratching fondly at his favorite spot behind his round ear. There was no doubt in that. Ever since he was young, Yuuri was very familiar with pokemon and how much they were involved in their lives. His parents mainly raised fire type as they kept the hot springs the perfect temperature to soak your body in, even during the blistering winter. The water Pokémon they did have, a Vaporeon, provided the access water, but grew cranky if the water became too hot to swim. He had to make sure there was equal balance between the two to keep the shop running smoothly. The hot springs itself was a popular spot for Pokémon breeders to hatch eggs as the heat acted as an incubator times two. Nearly everyday he'd seen an egg hatch, from Pichus to Torchics.

That was how he obtained his first Pokémon, keeping the orange and striped egg submerged in the water while he bathed until it hatched to a small growlithe puppy. And though it was his only Pokémon at the moment, he did help take care of his best friend Phichit's pikachu which was far more excitable than Vicchan and chewed up the wires from his television and caused a power out after each time it peaked in happiness.  
Each Pokémon had their own personalities. Like how his neighbor who owned a rhyhorn who was surprisingly docile despite its known hostile behavior. Or how Vicchan actually enjoyed swimming despite being a fire type. Each one was different. Victor must have known that before each catch. No wonder why all his Pokémon listened to him well.

The show led to a replay, and Yuuri saw once again his beautiful Milotic, garnished in vividly colored scales. To be able to obtain the Pokémon took a lot of patience itself, requiring the maximum beauty for a blandly colored Feebus. He had never seen one before in the wild, only in paintings and sculptures. With a single Surf attack, creating a large tsunami like wave, his Milotic plummeted the opponent's Charizard, knocking it out within seconds. The other clip showed of his Beartic releasing an unforgiving blizzard to a Nidoking, freezing the Pokémon in a block of ice. Yuuri grew excited once again when they replayed Victor unleashing Articuno, the legendary bird flying high as flurries of snow showered down its majestic wings.

He sighed to himself.

"Someday I'll be a Pokémon Master like him," Yuuri breathed wistfully. He earned a few warm wet laps from Vicchan on the cheek, tickling him. He made a face but laughed anyways when he climbed to his lap, still assuming he was the small puppy he first met. "Of course you'll be by my side."

It was settled.

One day, he would become the greatest Pokémon Master in all of Iro.

....................................

Eleven years later...

Yuuri started to panic, his vision blurring. No, this can't be. One more pokemon fainting and he was done for. Yuuri gazed up at his opponent, a younger and seemingly more experienced trainer who broke into a grin as wide as his Gengar's. The stadium light's were painfully hot, sweat trickling down his neck. He could feel each individual eye piercing down in his skin.  
It was too late to go back now.

"V-Vicchan," Yuuri's voice cracked, too afraid to look up at the audience, knowing that they were laughing at him. They were probably wondering how in the hell he was qualified to participate in the annual Midori tournament. Now, he was questioning this himself.

The first Pokémon he'd sent out, an Alolan Ninetales, was unable to give a direct hit with an aurora beam, and one shadow ball and sucker punch knocked her out cold. Gardevoir didn't succeed much either. As much as she used block to deflect Gengar's attack, the ability drained her, leaving her an easy target for dark type attacks, her ultimate weakness. His Emboar put up a fight with practiced punches and stout strength, but Gengar's seemingly transparent body easily avoided them all.

It wasn't a surprise that he would face a Gengar at least once in the tournament. They were the fan favorite of the ghost type. He had fought them before, studied their unpredictable tactics. He didn't realize how difficult they were to beat however.

His opponent across the field was grinning maliciously, feeding into his distress. "Whatsa matter noob? Ready to forfeit yet?"

Noob? He most certainly was not. He had his battles, trainers and gym leaders alike. And he'd won plenty. But why was he sucking so badly now?

"Vicchan!" Yuuri raised his voice, desperate to keep it in control. Strong, steady, and stern as a gym leader "Use Flamethrower. Now!"

Vicchan uttered a low growl, dark streams of smoke emitting from his muzzle. He snapped his jaws open, releasing a burst of fire from his small body. It landed at Gengar, enveloping it in flames. A direct hit!

Vicchan stopped to take a quick breath, smoke emitting from his open jaws. If he was lucky, Gengar would have been left with a burn, draining it away with each move it made. But as he was ready to announce his second move, Gengar appeared out of the smoke, its smile had not faltered at all. Its mouth opened, and a fat tongue snaked out to swipe over Vicchan's face. His fur stood on end, body shuddering in pure disgust. Lick was a cheap yet effective move, able to leave an opponent frozen stiff from the mere touch. Even Yuuri felt paralyzed at the thought.

"Gengar use Sucker Punch while Growlithe's stuck!"

Gengar obeyed, raising its right hand back before slamming it across Vicchan's muzzle. The impact was strong, causing him to fly off to the right, but to his surprise, landing right back on his paws. A fierce look of determination crossed his face.

Outta boy.

"Flame Wheel!"

Vicchan immediately cloaked himself in flames, becoming nothing more than a ball of 1,100 degrees of fire as he charged like a flying meteorite.

"Dodge it now!"

Gengar was too quick for Vicchan and practically floated out of harms way, snickering when Vicchan's flames burnt out and he was left panting, sweat matting his fur.

He was running out of energy. He cursed under his breath. Gengar still appeared to be in complete health, mocking him with that nightmarish grin. He needed to make it vulnerable, just enough so he could combo Vicchan's attacks. That'll do some damage, if not cause it to faint.

But he was running out of time. The more he pondered, the chance his opponent would command another attack and possibly even beat him to a combo. He had to think fast. Think quick like a Pokémon Master.  
That's it!

"Use Quick Attack!"

A quick attack would be easy, strike the opponent before they were able to move. A quick move like that could cause them to flinch, an easy target for another much stronger attack. If Gengar did, Yuuri would command a Fire Blast. Vicchan always had trouble with the accuracy, but Vicchan's fiery strength would be strong enough to cause it to faint. If he was going to lose, one of his opponent's would be out too.  
Vicchan lunged forward, a blur of orange changing to the shadow Pokémon with intense speed. Yuuri clenched his hands into fists, sweat sliding down his forehead. He prepared himself for another command. Ready to claim his first victory.

Vicchan ran right through it.

Yuuri's jaw plummeted. "What?" he cried out as Vicchan spun around, just as baffled.

The other trainer laughed loudly, shaking his head. "Stupid! You can't use a normal attack agaisnt a ghost pokemon. That's battling 101. First grade level. How did you even pass the test?"

Yuuri's whole body blanched, blood running cold, his eyes bugging out. He'd completely forgotten about that. "Vicchan use-"

"Shadow Ball now!"

Before he could shout out another word, Gengar craned its huge smile open, unleashing an orb of dark matter. It struck Vicchan dead on, sending him crashing to the ground roughly, his body limp.

One second, two seconds, three seconds.

"Growlithe is no longer able to battle. Kenta is the winner!"

The crowd cheered as Yuuri dropped to his knees, no longer having the strength to keep himself together.

He lost. Big time.

On live television no else.

"Better luck next time bud," the winner jeered and his Gengar cackled through his grin. "If I were you, I'll go back to the academy. With all the little kiddies."

No...

Yuuri sank even further to the ground, wishing he could just turn invisible.

...................

From the bleachers, Victor could only frown, one finger to his chin as he pondered mutely to himself. That boy, Yuuri, couldn't have chosen all the wrong moves. This had to be a mistake, the Midori tournament didn't just choose anyone to participate. There were auditions, badge counts, recognitions. There was no chance that they let a begginner in just because. That and his pokemon, albeit all fainted pretty quickly, were pretty impressive. An Alolan ninetales, a rare sight outside of Alola, a gardevoir, a Emboar, and for some odd reason, a growlithe. All the others evolved except for this one. Growlithes required a fire stone to evolve, but those could be easily purchased at shops or events. Hell, he could dig one up if he was desperate. Growlithes were cute to have, but Arcanines were better for combat. Their Fire Blast could leave a painful burn, and their bites were far worse than than their barks.  
Yuuri couldn't have been a beginner. But it was troubling to not question it.

"What an idiot," Said the new youngest member of the elite four, ironically named Yuri too, grunted beside him, his petite nose wrinkled up in disgust. "That Gengar doesn't even need to go to the Pokémon center after that waste of time. My Persian can take it down and it's a normal type."

Victor glanced at him briefly before trailing his eyes back at the boy at the center of the stadium. Yuri never bothered to censor any of his thoughts and while he did admire his honesty, there were times Yuri came off more as heartless than truthful. He was still young, only fourteen when he landed the spot for the elite four, so there was much more for him to learn. Like at least try to feel some empathy for the trainers that came in. This wasn't the first time he himself had seen a trainer miserable. He'd seen it upfront and personal, defeating them back in the elite tower. He thought he would be immune to it after a year, but seeing the utter defeat over their faces, he couldn't help but feel sorry each time. Trainers had to lose from time to time, and they eventually learn from their mistakes.

Victor had his share.

Yuri shivered as frosty air billowed past them. The stadium was outside and opened, not sheltered by the blistering weather. Rain, snow, and wind were free to come in and out if Mother Nature decided to. No wonder why indoor battlefields were becoming more of a popular choice. "I'm going inside to get something to eat," Yuri rose up to his feet, flipping the hood of his coat over his blond locks. "Call me when there's a real battle will you?"

Victor turned his head, nearly giving himself a whiplash. A day before the tournament, he gave up on his long hair, snipping it off to it barely brushed his ears. The sudden change in weight felt a little too odd for him still, and threw on a beige beanie to add some weight and warmth to his head. After giving himself a second to recollect the absence, he nodded at Yuri with a smile."I'm coming too," He pulled himself up and shoved his hands in his pockets for extra heat."I could go for a cup of coffee."

And a chance to stretch his aching limps. The metal bleachers were not the best seats to sit for more than an hour. And sitting alone in the cold just made it worse.

"Whatever," Yuri groused, but in translation Victor made on his own, it was the closest thing he was going to get to a "yes".

They meander their way out from the bleachers, awkwardly avoiding protruding legs and feet. "So why haven't you entered Yuri?" Victor questioned curiously.

"Because it's a waste of time. If I'm already in the Elite Four, why would I even bother?" Yuri shrugged his shoulders. "I'll beat them all in seconds."

"Your ego is showing," Victor commented with a chuckle.

"Yeah? So what?" His skills were impressive but he was still a growing child.

Oh how that reminded him of when he was young like him. After a victory, all he wanted to do was boast about it. But after failing once and seeing the tables turned on him, he learned to respect the other's feelings and keep his success to himself in front of them.

"At least I'm not awful like him." Yuri muttered and Victor shook his head. He'd never change.

He turned back to gaze down the field before he made his way inside the warm building, watching as the defeated trainer dragged his feet back inside too.

........................

"There you go," the nurse at the stationed Pokémon center within the large stadium said as she handed Yuuri back his pokeballs in a small tray. "They're all good to go now."

"Thanks." Yuuri mumbled, taking each one, clipping them back to his belt. The last one, slightly scratched with age and use, started to stir when he held it in his hands. He cracked the smallest of smiles. Vicchan never liked staying inside the pokeball, even as a smaller puppy. Once he stepped away from the growing line behind him, he pressed the round button and with a thin stream of red light, Vicchan was there, wagging his creme colored tail as he stuck out his tongue. His fur was clean, his black nose shinning a healthy glow. He was good as new with the same cheery self as before the tournament.

He gave him a pat on the head, scratching his favorite spot. "You did great out there." Yuuri said softly and truthfully. It was none of his Pokémon's fault but his own and they needed to be reminded. The bond had to be strong even after losing. "Sorry about earlier. That Gengar was tough, wasn't he?"

Vicchan barked, his tail still wagging. Don't worry about it, he seemed to say or at least what he hoped he meant. If only Pokémon could talk like them.

Yuuri took a seat at a bench situated against the wall, the furthest away from food stands and entrances to the stadium, anywhere where people didn't gather around, and checked his PokeNav. The battles were aired live and there was no doubt that his parents and older sister had watched the whole thing. He still wasn't sure if he was ready to call them first or wait until they did. He knew his mother would be worried the most. They all knew how terrible he dealt with losing.

No recent calls.

Maybe they were waiting for him to make the call. Yuuri visibly shuddered and closed his PokeNav, letting it fall into one of his pockets in his coat. He wasn't ready yet to talk to anyone. He didn't even know how to begin with this. Sorry for being such a failure? Sorry to let Aoi down?

He drew in a shaky breath, sliding his glasses off to scrub away the forming tears welling in his eyes.

Don't cry, don't cry, don't cry.

Trying to keep himself together, he ran his hand over his eyes to swipe away any tears. He craned his head up to view the passing people. Very few paid any attention to him, but the ones that did barely showed any attempt to hide their lapped at his cheeks to calm him down, pawing at his leg gently as he whimpered, but it only triggered more tears threatening to come out. He tilted his head when Yuuri sniffed through his clogged nose, ears drooping at the poor sight of him. With shaky fingers, Yuuri's glasses slid from his hold, crumbling at his feet. The tape holding it together came loose, and they broke apart once it touched the ground.  
This time he gave up on hiding and he began to cry freely, muffling them in his open palms.

Such a failure.....

..................

"Sorry for the wait. One cup of coffee..." the lady behind the counter's voice trailed off once she finally got a good look at her customer.

Victor mentally prepared himself as usual, bringing himself to smile. Even though he hadn't publically exposed his new haircut to the world, there was no doubt that at least a good handful of people would still recognize him.  
"Victor Nikiforov?" The girl appeared young, and surely this must have been her first time seeing a celebrity up close at work

Out of fun, Victor tossed a harmless wink at the girl, taking the styrofoam cup of coffee as the girl turned a vivid red. "I'm having the day off today," he said in a mock whisper, tapping a finger to his lips. As much as he loved all the attention, he needed a break at least once in awhile to take a breather. "Incognito."

The girl only nodded, too much in awe to say anything else. Then she ducked behind the counter and produced a small bag of what appeared to be tiny chewy cookies, each shaped like individual Pokémon heads. "Here! It's on us. Thank you for visiting Midori." She said in a rush, dropping her head, hiding her even redder face.

Victor, surprised at first, finally accepted it after figuring if this was her first time with a celebrity. Free gifts were nothing new. He grew accustomed to it with nearly every visit to a Pokémon center after purchasing potions and revives, he was given five free pokeballs with each purchase, ultra balls too, even though he already had a plethora of them.

He was gifted, yes, but he was far from a god like Arceus.

But it was was rude to refuse a gift, so he thanked her for her generosity and stepped out of the way to let the next customer order. Today really wasn't his day to be swarmed by his fans.

Yuri ventered off earlier to find more of a hearty meal than snacking on pastries, leaving him to wander around, viewing the trainers motivating their Pokémon before battle. A boy praising his Mudsdale as he groomed its fur. A younger girl feeding berries to her Sylveon, which to his awe, was a shiny with baby blue fur than pink. Watching her giggle as her Pokémon purred in bliss made him long for his old companion, a Furfrou he named Makkachin. He didn't bring him along, leaving him the comfort of his heated home and a bowl of freshly baked poffins and a plush bed specifically made for him. It was his day off too, and Victor couldn't resist to spoil him when he had the chance.

He sighed, scouring around to find a available seat. Yuri could take a bit as he had his own fan base, mostly consisting of young teenaged girls his age, temporarily keeping him hostage to take selfies. Victor knew the layout of the stadium from his countless visits, so he really had no need to browse around. Most of the benches were already taken to his disappointment. One he wasn't even going to bother to ask as it was currently occupied by a thick Arbok. Arboks had a nasty reputation of giving the hug of death. It was already tricky to breathe through the two layers of coats. That and getting pierced by their toxic fangs hurt like hell. He gave the Arbok a sideway glance, it flicking its forked tongue back.

He spotted one bench in the corner, appearing promising, having only one trainer slouching at the end, a Growlithe at his feet. It began to growl lowly as he approached him, sending a intimidating glare at his direction.  
"May I sit here too?" He asked, carefully avoiding getting too close to his Pokémon. Growlithes were very territorial, especially around their owner's. Their loyalty were their highlights. And they weren't afraid to give a stranger third degree burns.

The trainer sniffed, wiping his nose with his sleeves. The way his shoulders dropped, his breath hitching, it dawned on him that the boy had been crying. He was never good at comforting people during their distress, and took a step back to give himself time to think. And that the Growlithe looked ready to release a Bite attack at his legs. The last time he was bit by one, it took two people to crane the pokemon's jaw off of him. And a few stitches at the nearest hospital.

"Heel Vic," The trainer finally said with a broken voice, and Victor raised his brows for a second, amazed that he recognized him without even taking a look. But before he could comment, his Growlithe grew silent, inching closer to the boy. His eyes were still trained sternly on him, clearly on guard.

Oh...

Coincidence? "You're Growlithe is well trained," he praised with a chuckle. "The ones I met were so stubborn."

"He can be," he said quietly, sniffing again with force.

"Aren't they all?" Victor pointed out, the paused for a split second. The trainer earlier, Yuuri Katsuki, too was wearing a rather baggy blue jacket. And he too used a Growlithe. "Are you Yuuri Katsuki by any chance?"

Silence. Seconds past until he muttered a weak, "Yeah."

Victor figured. "You put up quite a fight out there. Some trainers give up halfway if they know they're going to lose."

Yuuri kept his lips firmly shut, blinking away more tears, letting them drip drop on his lap.

Victor blinked. He thought that was suppose to cheer him up, not worsen it. Verbal help was never his cup of tea, but seeing how distraught he was made him not want to leave him alone.

He brought the bag of cookies up to his face. "Don't cry now. I've got cookies. And look, I see one in the shape of a Pikachu! You can say its taste is shocking!"

The boy didn't laugh at his horrible pun, but he didn't make a sound of disgust either, so Victor clapped himself on the back for that. And the way Yuuri's eyes trailed up at him, it peaked his interest too. He was just like a Pokémon, using bait to gain their trust.

"I don't feel like I should eat your food," he said. "I'll feel bad."

"Don't be," Victor waved it off, allowing himself to take a seat beside him, glad that he didn't stir his Growlithe's temper. "I got this for free."

He tore the bag open, picking out a Voltorb shaped cookie and took a bite. Sweet, sugary vanilla. When Yuuri was hesitant, eyeing them at the corner of his eyes, Victor shook it like a bag of treats. "Take one! I can't finish them myself."

Yuuri took a moment then obliged, reaching over to pluck a random one, an Mudkip one, and bit it in half. "Thanks."

"Of course," Victor took a sip of his coffee between bites. "A battle shouldn't make you miserable. You live and your learn."

"But it's my first tournament. Well, was my first tournament."

"Then sign right back up. That's what I did." Victor looked backed on those days, a teenaged version of himself with dreams of soaring high.

"I don't know. I'm thinking of taking a break."

"What will you do then?"

"My family owns a hot springs. They always need the extra hand." Yuuri's eyes lowered to his lap, eyes moistening. He raised his head, wiping his face again.

Victor nodded silently. He once visited a hot springs back in Lavaridge Town, where the pools of water were heated by Mt. Chimney. It was refreshing after a long hike up the mountain to soak in, releasing the tension building in his muscles. He hadn't known there was a hot springs in this region.

"I'd like to see you back," Victor said. "Once you're done with your break of course. Come back with vengeance."

Yuuri hummed, almost like a weak laugh. Victor mentally high-fived himself. He should have made notes for future references when trainers failed to beat him. "Maybe I should get a coach."

"Coach?" Victor echoed.

"Yeah, or a trainer for a trainer." Yuuri picked out another cookie, a Chatot with the eighth note crest snapped in half. "Someone there to help me. Besides the Pokémon Academy, I was on my own. I don't know if I've been making the wrong choices the whole time. And I always dreamed of becoming a Pokémon Master."

Victor paused, nursing on his drink.

"Sounds silly huh?" Yuuri brought his head up and his dewy eyes met his, and Victor found himself raising his brows with awe.

The boy's brown eyes were brilliant, glimmering under the lights, his long lashes fanning them with each blink. Back in the bleachers, Victor didn't have the best view, only catching his black hair and glasses. Speaking of, where were the glasses he had earlier?He swore he was wearing a pair that matched the color of his jacket. Yuuri's lips were upturned, albeit slacking a bit but that didn't ruin his image. He had a baby face, cheeks perfect for pinching, youthful skin free from unwanted blemishes and wrinkles. The face of young fledging Pokémon trainer. Twenty-three-years-old was it? Impressive.

"I've heard sillier," Victor said, still oh so entranced. "What kind of Pokémon Master do you wanna be?"

He lowered his gaze and shrugged cutely. "I guess to be able to beat the Elite Four. Well, my biggest dream was to ask Victor for help. But I doubt he'll ever talk to a failure like me."

Wait, what? His heart gave a quick jolt.

"Yuuri," Victor began, but Yuuri added in shortly.

"Did anyone ever say you sound a lot like him?" He smiled sheepishly and a cute blush spread from his cheeks. "The accent and all. I always wanted to meet him."

Victor gaped his mouth like a Magikarp. Did he seriously not recognize him? It was just a haircut. Same eyes, same nose, same overly large forehead...

Then he spotted the way Yuuri's beautiful eyes squinted. Then he spotted his glasses, laying over his lap, snapped in two.

Oh...

"But I am-"

Yuuri's PokeNav buzzed to life, holding up one finger as he fished it out, reading the caller ID. Yuuri's lips tightened together. " I have to take this." He reeled himself up to his feet ushering his Growlithe to follow. He twisted his head back to face him. "Thanks for the cookies."

"Oh you're-" Victor's words trailed off as Yuuri hurried off, disappearing into the crowd within seconds with his Pokémon tailing behind.

Victor sat still for a moment, eyes fixed to the place he last seen him. Poor kid. There was something about him that kept his interest. Yes he was fairly cute, even with unkempt hair and full cheeks. Maybe it was because he found it familiar when he lost in a tournament. He held on to Makkachin for hours after, switching from crying to stuffing himself with chocolate ice cream. That was years and years ago, but it all felt new when he met Yuuri.

So someone to coach to him huh?

"There you are. I've been searching everywhere for you old man!" Victor turned away to find Yuri hovering over him, munching on some kind of meat bun.

Victor blinked than grinned. "How many times have I told you not to call me old?" He asked, matching that of a parent.

"Well you are," he said with his mouthful. "Let's go already. There's a Dragonnite battling a Salamence out there and I wanna watch."

"Okay!" Victor brought himself back to his feet. He thought about waiting around if Yuuri would return after the call, but he would have already been back if he did. He really wanted to him seem again though. To make sure he was okay. And to officially introduce himself. "Hey Yuri?"

"What?"

"Where's the nearest hot springs in Iro?"


End file.
